John 1:29-34
Dear Friends,
This year we will walk with the Jesus proclaimed in the Gospel of St. Matthew. The story remains the same but we change. I always look forward to a new journey that is familiar but always deeper, always more inviting as we grow more in our personal maturity and in our faith.Today we start out with St. John because of the sharp focus he offers on Jesus’ beginning of his public life. It is all about Jesus. John is very forceful in presenting Jesus as the full revelation of God. He is the Word that existed before time who became flesh.
In today’s selection Jesus is presented as the Lamb of God. This is one of many tiles John gives to Jesus such as the Light of the World, the Living Water, the Bread of Life, the Life and the Resurrection and, of course, the Way, the Life and The Truth. All of these expressions are a clear manifestation of God present in Jesus.
The message of today’s Gospel is clear and to the point. Jesus is the fullness of God’s revelation. He will lead us on the journey to salvation. We need to be faithful to his call because He has the answer to the deepest yearnings of the human heart. This makes our responsorial response so appropriate, “Here I am Lord. I come to do your will.”
As we begin the journey with St. Matthew in the troubled year of 2017 we need to know the answer to our search: God’s call in the person of His Son who is the Lamb of God leading us to the freedom of the Gospel message. This is why the Church gives us a lead with John. His picture of Christ is strong and forceful right from the very beginning.
Just as the disciples walked the dusty roads of Galilee, we, too, have the opportunity to walk once again with the Son of God made flesh who calls us out of darkness into the light. When we walk with Jesus we slowly enter into a new world with less selfishness and more love. It is always one step at a time. Today we are invite to take that first step once again.
